Anyting New and Exciting??

Well I dropped the evening class that was giving me nightmares, so now I feel a little better about school- at least I feel that I probably won't implode until midterm week, so that's good!

I started back to my hockey job... and am still having a problem figuring out what to do. :( I am torn as to whether I should stay, or just go. I've tried to write a pros and cons list and have been constantly evaluating and re-evaluating my ideas and feelings everytime I have a shift. Still no verdict. I have a lot of goals in mind and I honestly can't tell if this job is helping or hindering them. I think I need my other, objective half to talk this over with me. He always helps me to see what's right and fair.

Yeaaaaa... it's still all good in the hood where the Dude is concerned. /blush

Future Mother-in-Law to be in town a day or two after Thanksgiving. Yes, I am terrified. (By the way, don't get too excited- the M-i-L designation is still unofficial!)

I am currently reading "Wild Geese" and "Winnie-the-Pooh" for my classes as well as finishing "Wolf Willow" and Chapter 1 of both my Physics text and my Religion text.

Had "breffist" at Ricky's today (109th street because that's the BEST location, with the BEST waiter [Ernie.]) Couldn't ask for a better start to my week!

Been playing FFXI a little more lately. I think it's a good outlet for me- from school stress & work stress and gives me some "alone" time too. I still really like the game although a friend of mine thinks it should be wiped from existence!

I saw a picture of my friend's new baby! :D I can't wait to see him in REAL life!!!!!! He looks sooooo cute!

Sorry this is so piecy, I have a lot on my mind and am unable to form flowing, coherent paragraphs. Got lots of school work to do and a couple of special projects on the go! Talk to you later.

Under Pressure :-(

I've only been back to school for just under two weeks and already I am feeling the pressure building. One of my classes seems to have an unreal amount of work... I am thinking of dropping it but hate to do so already. I do get a ridiculous panicked feeling when I think of its workload in relation to my other 5 classes. Maybe it is better to cut it right away instead of losing my mind here in my first month back.

I am feeling sorry for myself today for a few reasons:

1) Aforementioned workload at school. I know it is a means to an end or something like that and I know I will have to suffer through it to get where I want to go.

2) Trying to decide whether or not I should stay at the part-time hockey gig. I do love the events, but I don't know if my time is worth only $7.50 an hour. I've been there for 4 years... and only making .50 over minimum wage. God. I could go work at McDonalds and make almost 3 dollars more! I just don't know if I should stay, or if I should get a part-time somewhere that will PAY me for my time... to be continued.

3) I feel like all of my friends are leaving me behind. I've always been a little slow on the uptake, but now my slowness is manifesting itself in such ways as my friends bearing children and me... being back in 3rd year of university. It feels like everyone that's been a friend for the last 10 years of my life has so much more than me to live for. They've got new houses, careers, husbands, babies... I have an apartment, classes with irritating 18 year-olds and cats. I know I DO have a ton of things in my life for which I am grateful and do NOT take for granted, but at the same time, I feel like I am losing touch with my friends and that they will leave me in the dust. :(

4) I spent the weekend in Jasper at a resort at which only myself and my boyfriend were guests. It was a wonderful weekend and I had a great time showing the Dude things he'd never seen before. We got to spend some fantastic time together during which we established some understandings that really make the day-to-day easier. The weekend was just so great that it really sucks to be back here, back to the grind...

Sorry to be so blah I know it's probably just the weather or whatever and I'll get over it. Maybe I just need a coffee. I don't know.

Welding, Wasps and Whatnot

I finally got to do my job shadow at work. Most of the crew I'm on chose to shadow the Wardens. While I AM interested in the work they do, I am MORE interested in what the Grounds, Utilities & Trades peeps get up to on a daily basis. So, I requested to stay in the Garage.

Well, what a fantastic day!! I got to help build a gate for one of our facilities from scratch! First P taught me to use a grinder to take the rust off the pieces of pipe to be welded together. Um... that was okay, but not so much fun. And, besides, it made my wrists tired.

Next, he said, "okay, now you're going to learn how to weld." Uh.. what?? No, I hadn't heard wrong, he really did teach me. I used a MIG welder to attach some brackets meant to stabilize the crosspieces and to which the wood will be attached. I sucked bad at first and P had to go back and correct them, but after a while I really got the hang of it and had a great time welding all the pieces while P took about 83 smoke breaks. :) I also heard quite a bit about the politics of the different sections here at work and learned that if you're changing one shock, or brake, you've gotta change the matching one too!

Apart from getting stung twice on my arm by a wasp who really wanted to eat my hair, it was an awesome day.

Louis update: he is kinda pissy because I won't let him outside for unsupervised playtime.

I went to my classes today. I gat a lot of work to do! :) For 2/5 classes I already have 4 exams, 2 essays and I have to participate in class. I am banking on at least 4 more essays and at least 5 more exams to complete the circuit. Oh and add to that any lab-related activities for physics. /cry I'm about to be a busy girl!!

This is my last shift at work for the summer season. It's stupidly busy in the campground and I am wishing that people would just stay home and let me surf the net in peace. ...I am partly kidding.... I am not nearly as sad to go as I was last year- I think it's because I have much to look forward to this fall/winter!! I am sure that the 8 months will fly by and I'll be back here bitching about campers before I know it.

Cats DO Land on their Feet

Soooooo OMG. Louis lost one of his lives last night for sure!

Background: Louis, my boy cat, likes to spend 90% of his time out on my deck. He is usually very good about his deck time and leaves my plants alone and behaves quite well.

Last night around midnight Louis decided to jump up and sit on the "wall" of my deck- that is the wall that makes my deck private and separate from the roof of my building (which happens to be incredibly steep.) I heard him jump up and got out of bed, yanked him off the wall and gave him a spank. Obviously this was a big deterrent because 30 seconds later he was back up on the wall. I decided to let him be, as it was a beautiful night and I figured he probably just wanted to look around.

Next thing I knew, I saw his shadow on the wall... ascending the steep roof. I panicked and tried to get him down, but by that point he was up on the main (flat) part of the roof. The Dude mumbled something to placate me to the effect of "cats climb, he'll be fine on the shingles" and promptly drifted off to sleep.

After ten or fifteen minutes went by I suddenly heard the heart-stopping sound of claws "toboganning" down the shingles of the roof. The descent was stopped with a sudden "thud" at which point I (again) lept from bed, exclaiming "Oh my god, he's on the eaves!!" Yea... no. He was not on the eaves. He was gone!

At this point my heart broke into a zillion pieces because, although Louis is a naughty boy at times, I still love him with all my heart and three floors is a loooong way to fall. (Well, four, if you count his slide from the top of the roof.)

The Dude grabbed my keys and some shoes and raced outside to inspect the damage. By the time I'd gathered myself enough to put ON my shoes and get outside I found him in my landlady's yard (below my apartment) with a struggling ball of hair and claws.

We got Louis up to the apartment and I gave him a bowl of "treat" so I could inspect him while he was distracted. I found no broken bones and no "firm spots indicating internal bleeding" so I let him be and collapsed into bed... upon which I went to sleep when the shaking stopped.

I think I'm going to stop at a pet store on my way home to price out leads and harnesses. I don't want to deny him his outdoor pleasures but I sure as hell don't want to go through another incident like THAT one!!!

Teratogens and Mutagens

This is what I learned today at work from Shizzle:

"Teratogenesis is a medical term from the Greek, literally meaning monster-making, which derives from teratology, the study of the frequency, causation, and development of congenital malformations—misleadingly called birth defects. These include gross morphological abnormalities, such as cleft lip and/or palate, anencephaly, or ventricular septal defect, but may also include phenomena such as increased risk of cervical cancer or discoloration of tooth enamel. These malformations can arise from genetic abnormalities of the fetus, from adverse environmental circumstances (termed teratogens or tetragens), or, frequently, from an unlucky combination of these factors. Teratogenesis has gained a more specific usage for the development of abnormal cell masses during fetal growth (see pregnancy), causing physical defects in the fetus. The study of teratogenesis is called teratology." From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Conversely:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In biology, a mutagen (Latin, literally origin of change) is an agent that changes the genetic information (usually DNA) of an organism and thus increases the number of mutations above the natural background level.
Mutagens are usually chemical compounds or ionizing radiation.

In conclusion: mutagens can also be teratogens!

Now... give your head a shake! :)

Somebody stop this ride! I wanna get off!!

WOAAAAAHHHH Nelly!

I only have 5 shifts left here at the Park!

My fingers are stiff from the morning chill and there was frost on the grass when I arrived this morning. WHERE did the summer go?????? It's the Labour Day long weekend. Yes, it is supposed to be 27 degrees today but still... winter is NOT far away!

I am super-stoked to start school! Also scared. While I feel like I am getting a good grip on things like school, getting in touch with long-lost friends, returning to work and etc... I also feel like this freight train, on which the summer passed in the blink of an eye, doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. I hope it's not Christmas Eve next time I look or I'll be in trouble! (Maaannn... time to start Christmas Shopping!) Bah. I don't know if I am complaining or excited.

This morning on Zombie Shift (7-3) I heard an elk bugling in the distance. It's the first time I've heard one and it was amazing. (Sounds nothing at all like the "screaming elk" toys we had in the gift shop.) (Wellllll maybe a little!) lol

My "future's so bright I gotta wear shades." Or... maybe it's life passing by the windows of my freight train. Whichever case, I still feel good about it all.